Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-02-25
INVESTIGATING cRooKEDNEss.

Efforts to Annihilate Smiths Standing
He Continues and is Serene.
The Assembly Retrenchment Committee
having in charge the investigation of Ray
w. Falk, Minute Clerk, who has been
charged with altering the file, met again
yesterday morning. Clerk E. J. Smith, the
author of the revelations concerning efforts
to tamper with the files of the House, Sem
atcr Moffitt and others implicated by Smith,
were present.
Henry Schwartz was first sworn. He tes-
titled that he did not hear Moffitt say to
Smith, on Friday last, I" No, will not give
you cent. You have beaten yourself out
of $75 and me out of $500" Schwartz said
he was not in the Capitol on Friday after
noon, and hence Smith could not have seen
him there. He added that Smiths reputa-
ton for truth was bad. He had heard
Louis Kaplan and Charles A. Alderman
say they would not believe him under OATH
The witness had employed Ray Falk and
always found him reliable and honest.
T. B. Mortec, clerk to the Sergeant at
Arms of the Senate. testified to hearing
Smith threaten some of the Assembly
SiCi Ms, anu W ncdflIS llLA say III the ceT-
less Saloon that he would make it hot for
Moffitt.
Felix Charles corroborated the latter part
of this statement.
Senator Mof1itt was then sworn. He said
he had known Smith about three years,
| and spoke to him concerning the opium
bill, because he had noticed it creeping up
remarkably fast The bill was notorious
"cinch," and he was opposed to it. When
he spoke to Smith about it, he accused him
of advancing the bill on file, and told him
| to put it back TO its place. Smith asked if
there was anything in it, and soon after
asked him for money. which was refused.
Next morning the bill had taken another
jump, and he then wrote the note asking
Smith to shove it down.
Senator Murphy testified to long ac-
quaintance with Smith, the result of which
was that he would not believe Smith under
oath.
w. H. Ennis, clerk in the Surveyor
Generals office, testified that Smiths repu-
tation for truth was bad Some wears ago
Smiths fellow clerks in the Assessor s
office at San Francisco passed some reso-
lutions upon the eve of his departure to
Sacramento, designating him as the 'cham-
pion silver tongued liar"
Senator Moffilt resumed the stand, and
testified to Smiths asking him if there was
any money in advancing A. b. 1872 on the
file. He had refused to loan Smith IS, but
denied emphatically that he had ever told
him " Y GU have beaten yourself out of SIS
and me out of $500"
Chas. A. Weller testified that he had
heard Smiths reputation for truth dis
cussed about the City Hall of San Francisco
and thought it generally was bad.
George Goodman, Superintendent of the
Artificial Paving Company, acknowledged
that he had procured the introduction of
the bill to pave the Capitol grounds, and
should it be passed. He had telegraphed
to Smith for copy and got him to look
after it, but never paid him any money.
T. w. Marston, clerk at the Assembly
desk, testified to Moffitt asking him in
barber shop who had charge of the Assem-
bly, files. Marston told him he did not
know, having nothing to do with them
himself
After recess the committee met again,
when A. E. Bruck, Clerk of the Assembly
Committee ON Viticulture, was called He
testified that during the latter part of last
week he was sitting in the lobby of the
Assembly with Smith, when Senator Moi
fit came along. Smith arose and tried to
borrow money from Moffitt The witness
thought Moffitt refused, but could not say
positively. At any rate, conversation oc-
Cured between Smith and Moffitt, during
which witness heard Moffitt say: Well.
you have beat yourself out of $50 and
knocked me out of $500" This was said
in a loud voice, and was clearly understood
by the witness.
w. Fl. Ennis, the Clerk in the Surveyor
Generals office, was recalled and shown
letter in which it was stated that the ''sil-
ver-tongued liar resolutions, adopted by
Smiths fellow-clerks in San Francisco,
were merely an attempt to crack joke at
Smiths expense. He stated that he un.
derstood the resolutions to be facetious,
and not intended as serious expression of
opinion upon Smiths veracity.
Clerk Smith then produced number of
letters recommending him for various po-
sitions and testifying to his good character,
signed by Hall McAllister. S. H. Dwinelle,
ex-Judge Daingerfeld, Chief Justice R. F.
Morrison, Judges Sawyer and Hoffman,
Wheaton & SERVER, Smiths former en-
ployers, and many other prominent men.
Mrs. Gilmore, mother of Smith, was then
sworn. She testified that Smith entered
the employ of Wheaton & Scrivner, law
yers, when aged 10, and she followed his
career to the present moment, stating that
he had never been discharged or charged
with dishonesty in all that time.
Senator Moffitt said he bad a few more
questions to put to Smith, but he did not
care to detain the committee now.
Smith produced the order TO print the
letter heads for Moffitt's Committee on
County Governments, showing that the
note asking him to shove down " the OPT
um bill was written subsequent thereto.
Mr.. Moffitt remarked, : Oh, it is net nee
essary to go further into that; l acknowl-
edge that | wrote the note, and will have
something to say about it hereafter
The committee adjourned to the call of
the Chair.